After news that San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama will be out for at least two weeks, backup center Luke Kornet has been thrust into the spotlight. He has been terrific thus far, giving the Spurs a reliable backup who can crash the glass, protect the rim, [and even catch lobs](https://airalamo.com/spurs-devastating-two-man-game-continues-reveal-itself-before-our-very-eyes) on offense.
With Wembanyama out for around 10 games, Kornet will quickly prove himself worthy of his new contract and show why the Boston Celtics still miss him. The Celtics have one of the worst center rotations in the NBA, and had they been able to keep him, they would have been far better off.
Their loss. Instead, the Spurs should be able to rely on him to play around 30 minutes per game in Wembanyama's absence. The Spurs will also rely on Jeremy Sochan and Kelly Olynyk to back him up, with San Antonio likely to play two big men together to see if they can keep their defense from slipping in Wembanyama's absence.
Luke Kornet is proving his worth to the Spurs
---------------------------------------------
Without Wembanyama, the Spurs' needs at center will shift. They won't need Kornet to average 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks—though that would obviously be great. Instead, if he can average at least 10 points and 10 rebounds, then he should allow the team to hold down the fort in Wemby's absence.
They will have to rely more on their perimeter players to pick up the slack. Of course, that means De'Aaron Fox can shoot as much as his heart desires, especially with the Spurs also missing Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle.
Devin Vassell will also have the greenest of lights with two of the Spurs' top-3 scorers out. He might not be a 20-point-per-game scorer on a good team, but he has shown that his offense can scale up, and there are worse players on this roster who could take 20 shots per game over the next couple of weeks.
Still, Kornet will be the backbone of what the Spurs will look to do. His screen setting will be key to freeing up Fox for drives to the basket. And while Castle and Harper are currently out of the lineup, he can work on developing chemistry with Fox, specifically with Kornet rolling to the basket and finishing lobs.
Defensively, his rim protection will be key to the team's approach, with him challenging shots in the paint and securing rebounds. All of those are things the Celtics could use right now, and the Spurs are lucky to have them in Wembanyama's absence.